


Eternity Song Part One: Tranquility

by Jewel of Venus (orphan_account)



Category: Sailor Moon
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-03-03
Updated: 2002-03-02
Packaged: 2017-10-05 06:50:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Jewel%20of%20Venus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Serena and Darien's very...odd relationship in an alternate SM universe without Sailor Senshi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Death

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon  
Ok, this is my first fan fic, everyone, so go easy on me! There is nothing about Sailor Moon in this fan fic. Only Serena. Enjoy.  
~Jewel-hime

\------  
Tranquility: Prelude  
By Jewel of Venus

Four-year-old Serenity Tsukino sat happily in the back seat of her family's car. Serenity loved her name. Of course, Serenity was a big name for a little girl, so her parents had shortened it to Serena within a week of her birth. But somewhere between her second and third birthdays, she picked up another nickname: Bunny. Bunny was an adorable little girl. Her blonde hair was pulled up into odangos with pigtails that hung just above her ears, and her crystalline blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. And right now, those eyes were focused on her new baby brother.

"Mama, what's its name again?"

"HIS name is Sammy." her mother replied. "And he's very fragile, so please try not to hurt him."

"Okay!" Bunny giggled and peeked over the side of the baby seat. "Hi Sammy! I'm your big sister! My name is Sere...Seren...Mama, how do I say it?"

"Serenity, dear."

"Thank you! My name is Serenity, but you can call me Bunny."

The baby seemed to recognize her, and he kicked a little and tried to smile. Bunny giggled.

"Lookee, Papa!"

He turned around for a second.

"Bunny, you need to..."

"Kenji, look out!" Bunny's mother screamed. Her father jerked the steering wheel, and Bunny heard squealing tires and felt something hit the car. She hit her head on the window, and everything went black.

Darien Shields sat in his hospital bed and drank a glass of water, trying to remember something, anything, that had happened before yesterday, his seventh birthday. The doctors told him that he had been in a car crash and hit his head, which was why he couldn't remember anything. They also told him that his parents --and the parents of the little girl next to him--had died in that crash. With a sigh, he looked over to the little blonde haired girl. She'd been in the crash, but she hadn't woken up yet. She looked extremely small in her big bed.

"I hope you wake up." Darien whispered. "You're not even a big kid yet!" He started to say more, but he was surprised to see the little girl waking up. She opened her eyes a bit.

"Hi." she whispered.

"Hi. I'm Darien. What's your name?"

"It's...it's..."she suddenly started crying. A nurse rushed in to comfort her.

"It wasn't me!" Darien exclaimed.

"Hush, now!" the nurse crooned. "What's the matter?"

"I can't remember my name." the blonde girl sniffled.

"Well, now, we can just check on the clipboard...aha! Here we are." The nurse smiled at the little girl. "Your name, little one, is Serenity."

* * *

Well, it's been fun! Don't worry, I WILL be back with more. In case of any desire or need to contact me, E-MAIL ME!!! I LOVE e-mail!  
Serenitys_  
Ja ne! (See ya!)  
~Jewel-hime

Sailor Moon was created by Takeuchi Naoko (Arigato, Queen Naoko!).


	2. My So-Called Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-----  
> Tranquility: Chapter 1  
> By Jewel of Venus

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon  
Ok, a couple notes for chapter 1: Serenity is 15, she goes by Sere, and she wears her hair down instead of in odangos.

\-----  
Tranquility: Chapter 1  
By Jewel of Venus

Sere sighed as she headed towards the park. This wasn't the first time her foster father had gotten drunk. Tears slid down her cheeks as she remembered why she ran away...

[Flashback]

"You selfish little bitch!" Sere ducked as her foster father threw a chair at her. She ran towards the door, but tripped over the coffee table and cut herself on the shattered remains of a vase. "Yeah, that's it you little whore! Run! Get out of my house!" Sere ran out of the house, hands and knees bleeding, away from the place she was forced to call home.

[End Flashback]

Sere sat on the edge of the fountain and rinsed her hands in the cool water. Once they were clean, she cupped some water in her hands and poured it over her knees. Finally satisfied, she got up and left the park to find a stairwell she could sleep in.

Darien ascended the stairs to his apartment with relief. School was very stressful sometimes, especially since he was in his last year of high school. As he mounted the last flight, he suddenly stopped. Huddled in the corner was a young girl, no older than 16. Her long blond hair fell onto her forehead and flowed to the ground. Carefully, Darien put his books down and kneeled down next to her. She seemed to be sleeping, but nightmares obviously invaded her rest, because she whimpered softly. Darien frowned. He couldn't just leave her here.

"No! Leave me alone!"

Darien jerked back at the sound of the girl's voice. At first he thought she was talking to him, but he soon realized that she was talking in her sleep. After standing up, he stooped down and gathered her into his arms. Though still sleeping, the girl stiffened at his touch.

he thought. "It's ok," he whispered to her. "I won't hurt you." She must have found his voice reassuring, because she immediately snuggled into him. Surprised, Darien started up the stairs to his apartment. "I sure hope you appreciate this, little bunny."

Sere felt so comfortable that she was sure she must be dreaming.

reluctantly, she pried her eyes open...only to find herself in a small bed and a small bedroom. She sat up quickly and looked around. The room was bare, with a few boxes piled in the corner. Sere slipped out of the bed and walked over to the door, opening it cautiously. When she saw no one, she hurried to the front door, hoping to get out without being noticed. As she fumbled with the lock, she heard a male voice behind her.

"Hey!" The door unlocked; she yanked it open and ran down the stairs. She ran out the entrance and heard him call out again. "Wait!" Sere looked back at the boy before running off, without a second thought, towards home.

Darien looked down at the blonde girl's retreating figure. Maybe he shouldn't have brought her up to his apartment.

he chided himself. He sighed. It was too late now. If he ever saw her again, he'd just give her a blanket.

Two months after her scare in that strange guy's apartment, Sere found herself, for the seventh time, in the stairwell he found her in. As she curled up in a corner, she couldn't help but smile. Soon after that odd little escapade, her foster father had gotten drunk again. It had been pretty late, so when she had curled up in the stairwell, she hadn't realized where she was...

[Flashback]

Sere stretched and yawned. Last night had been a long night. Suddenly, in mid-yawn, she froze in confusion. She had a blanket wrapped around her, and she hadn't had it the night before. She stood up, startled, and sent a not fluttering to the ground. It was simple.

Rabbit,  
I'm sorry I scared you last time. I hope you weren't cold.  
~Darien

Surprised, but grateful, Sere folded the blanket and set it in front of Darien's door, then she found a pencil and wrote two words on the back of the note.

"Thank You"

[End Flashback]

Unworried, Sere yawned, curled up, and went to sleep.

Well, what do y'all think? E-mail me! I love e-mails. Send anything you want to Serenitys_  
Ja ne, minna!  
~Jewel-hime

Sailor Moon was created by Takeuchi Naoko (Arigato, Queen Naoko!).


	3. Once Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-----  
> Tranquility: Chapter 2  
> By Jewel of Venus

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon  
For three months, Sere has used Darien's stairwell as an escape from her foster family. Every time, Darien has left her a blanket and maybe some food. So far, though, they've never spoken to each other. But all that is about to change...

\-----  
Tranquility: Chapter 2  
By Jewel of Venus

Sere was lying on her bed reading when her foster father burst in.

"All right, you little bitch, where'd you put it?" he shouted, shoving Sere against the wall.

"Wh-where'd I put wh-what?" she asked.

"The fifty bucks you stole, you stammering twit! Where is it?"

"I d-didn't take it!"

"Don't lie to me, bitch! You'll regret it!"

"I'm not lying!" Sere cried.

"Alright," he hissed. "You asked for it." he reached into the hall and grabbed a baseball bat. Sere's eyes widened and she backed into a corner.

"No..." she whispered. Her foster father moved in. Sere screamed in fear and pain as he began to hit her...

Sere walked slowly up the stairs to Darien's apartment. She knew she couldn't go home, and she needed a place to stay. she thought, I need a friend right now. Tentatively, she raised her hand and knocked lightly, praying that her stranger-friend would be home.

When Darien answered the tentative knock at his door, he was unprepared for what he saw. His young blonde friend stood there, looking as if someone had taken a baseball bat to her.

"Bunny? What happened?" he asked gently. Her face scrunched up, like she was trying not to cry.

"Can I--can I come in?"

Without a word, Darien put his arm around her shoulders and led her inside. They sat down on the couch and were silent a moment.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Darien asked. Suddenly, she burst into tears. Not knowing what else to do, he put his arms around her and tried to comfort her.

Darien looked down at the peaceful sleeping figure that was snuggled on his chest. Bunny had cried herself to sleep and he didn't have the heart to move and risk waking her up.

"Oh, Darien..." she sighed happily. Darien smiled at her.

"Bunny, you baka," he laughed quietly. "You're talking in your sleep."

"No I'm not." she mumbled.

"Ok, ok." For a few moments, all was quiet, except for Bunny's even breathing.

"Darien?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you know my real name?"

"No, I don't." he answered.

"Well," she said, "I won't tell you."

"Bunny!"

"Good-night."

Darien sighed.

I wonder if she's like this when she's awake. he thought. He glanced at the clock. 11:00pm. It was late. He might as well...go...to ...sleep...

The next morning, Darien woke to the sounds and smells of breakfast cooking, as well as a sweet voice singing.

"Quiet ... day ... calms ... me. Oh, Serenity..." he heard Bunny giggle as she slipped in. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" she said, and ruffled his hair a bit. "Oh, come on!" she exclaimed when he rolled away. "Serenity calls you to breakfast!"

"What?" Darien propped himself up on his elbow and looked at her. She giggled.

"Oops! I forgot that you don't know my name!"

Darien raised his eyebrows.

"Your name's Serenity?" he asked skeptically.

"Yep! Everyone calls me Sere, though." her bright eyes darkened. "Except my foster father. I don't think he's ever been sober long enough to learn my name..."

Darien looked into her eyes.

"Is that who you've been hiding from?" he asked. She nodded. "Well, don't worry. You can stay here as long as you want." Bunny's eyes brightened again.

"Really?!"

"Really."

"Thanks so much! Now come on!" she giggled. "Your breakfast is getting cold."

"You know," Darien said around a mouthful of scrambled eggs, "I've been..."

"Stop!" Sere commanded.

"What?"

"I don't like see-food."

"What does fish have to do with this?!" a very confused Darien asked after swallowing. Sere giggled.

"No SEE-food. S-E-E. As in, don't talk with your mouth full." Darien grinned sheepishly. "Anyway," she continued, "You were saying?"

"Oh, right. I've been calling you Bunny for so long, I don't think I can get used to calling you Sere."

"You can call me Bunny," Sere said quickly. "I like it!"

"Good." Darien grinned. His grin faded, however, when he saw the clock. "Bunny, what's today?"

"It's Thursday..." they looked at each other and cried out in unison.

"School!" Darien rushed into his room and quickly emerged in his school uniform.

"Oh no!" Sere gasped. "I don't have a school to go to!"

"I'll take you to Juuban! It's on the way to my school. You can enroll there!" They pulled on their shoes and made a mad dash for Juuban High School.

What will happen to Sere? Will she make friends at her new school? Read the next chapter to find out.  
All flames, comments, questions, or just plain abuse (^*^) can be sent to me, Seishi, at Serenitys_. I'd love to hear from you! Ja ne, minna!

P.S. I know the thing with Sere living at Darien's place is a little far fetched, but you'll live, ne?  
~Jewel-hime

Sailor Moon was created by Takeuchi Naoko (Arigato, Queen Naoko!).


	4. So Many New Faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-----  
> Tranquility: Chapter Three  
> By Jewel of Venus

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. Please don't sue. You won't get very much, anyway.

\-----  
Tranquility: Chapter Three  
By Jewel of Venus

Sere stood outside her new homeroom and nervously waited for the principal to motion her in. She gave herself a once over, smoothing her new uniform skirt and making sure her long blonde hair was securely pulled back at the nape of her neck. Quickly, she pulled a thin white ribbon out of her book bag and tied it in a bow over the rubber band that was holding her hair back. She finished just as the principal opened the door and asked her to step inside.

"Class, we have a new student." she heard the teacher say. "Her name is Tsukino Serenity." Sere heard a couple of kids giggle when they heard her name. She looked down at her feet and willed herself not to cry. "Tsukino-san, you may sit there, next to Aino-san." Sere made her way to her desk, sat down and looked to the front, where the teacher was beginning the lesson.

"Hey, you're Serenity, ne? Welcome to Juuban High!" Sere looked up from her lunch and saw a smiling blonde in front of her, the girl she sat next to in class.

"Hello, Aino-san..."

"Oh, just call me Mina. Why are you eating by yourself? Didn't anyone offer to sit with you?" Sere blushed.

"Well, I..."

"NO?! Well, you can sit with us, ok? Come on!" Sere found herself being dragged towards a group of girls sitting a little ways away.

"Mina..."

Mina turned back and smiled.

"Don't worry, they're nice. Hey guys!" Mina waved as they walked up.

"Hey, Mina-chan, who's your friend?"

"Minna, this is Serenity!" Sere looked down shyly.

"You can call me Sere." she said quietly.

"Hello, I am Mizuno Ami." the first girl said. She had short blue hair and looked very smart.

"I'm Lita." Lita was tall and boyish, and her brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail. A third girl stood up and bowed. She had short, wavy, blond-brown hair, green eyes, and glasses.

"Ohaiyo, Serenity-san. I am Fuu." she said.

Sere smiled shyly at them all.

"I am pleased to meet all of you." Mina sat down next to her and began gossiping. Sere was sure she would fit in here. Mina's voice rose as she talked.

"Did anyone see Trent in PE? He looked SO HOT..."

"Man, I don't want to go home!" Mina sighed.

"How come?" Sere asked curiously.

"Cause when I get home, I have to study for the STUPID French exam and I don't have a clue about this passe compose stuff!" Sere raised her eyebrows.

"I took French I last year. We could go to my place and I'll explain it all..." Mina's eyes grew wide.

"Really?! What are we waiting for?! Let's get a move on!"

Both of the girls set off at a run, heading for Sere's new home.

"Ok, so tell me how many parts the passe compose has and what they are."

Mina bit her lip before answering.

"There are two parts. The aux--auxiliary verb and the...past participle!"

"Good," Sere encouraged. "Now what are the two auxiliary verbs?"

"Umm...ah...avoir and...etre!"

"Great!" Sere heard the door open. "Hi Dare!" she called.

"Hey, Bunny. Umm...who's your friend?" Darien asked as he walked in. Sere giggled. Mina looked like she was in a trance.

"This is Mina. Mina this is Darien, my..." she raised an eyebrow at Darien. she asked silently. He smiled.

"I'm her roommate." he said. He then turned to Sere. "So, what's for dinner?"

"Oh, am I you maid, that I should cook all meals for you?" she teased.

"Fine! Just be that way!" Darien stormed into the kitchen, then poked his head back in. "I'll order Chinese. That ok with you?"

"Sounds fine. Order for Mina, too, will you?"

"Kay!" Darien pulled his head back into the  
kitchen and Sere could hear him flipping through the phone book.

"Wow..." Mina whispered. Sere giggled, which broke Mina out of her trance and caused her to giggle. Soon both of them were laughing out of control, and trying to stop at the same time.

"We'll never finish studying at this rate!" Sere gasped between laughs.

"Oh, well!" Mina shrieked, bringing on another onslaught of giggling. After they quieted down a bit, Mina asked Sere if she was doing anything on Saturday.

"Not that I know of." Sere replied. "Why?"

"Well," Mina began, "My family is putting up an American exchange student who is fluent in Japanese. She's flying in on Saturday afternoon. The whole group's coming. Why don't you come, too?" Sere smiled at Mina.

"I'd love to come, thanks. Now, back to French!"

Mina groaned loudly, but willingly opened her book again.

"There are only two verbs that can be used as a past participle with etre..."

Sere, Mina, Lita, Ami, and Fuu were standing at a gate in Tokyo International Airport with a sign that said "Welcome Hikarino Seishi!" and watched the passengers disembark from the plane. Finally, the last few passengers came out, including a girl dressed in dark blue jeans, black sandals, and a black shirt. Her hair was black as well; short, straight, and choppy. A few strands of hair hung down in her face. She saw the sign the girls were holding and headed over.

"Are any of you, um..." she looked at a piece of paper she held in her hands. "Uh, Aino Minako?" When she looked up, Sere gasped. This girl had the most amazing ice blue eyes... Mina stepped forward.

"You must be Hikarino Seishi." The girl nodded.

"Well, considering I obviously know your name and you're holding a sign with MY name on it, I'd say you're right!" They all giggled a bit. Mina shook hands with Seishi and introduced everyone.

"Well, this is Lita and Fuu. The girl with all the books is Ami, and Sere," Mina grinned, "Has been in this group only two days more that you."

"It's good to know I'm not the only new face."

Sere felt her stomach growl and quickly spoke up.

"Is any one else hungry?."

"I'm starved!" Seishi exclaimed. "I swear they get airplane food at a toxic waste dump."

"All up for pizza at Ami's, say aye!" Mina shouted. Her proposal was met with cheers, and they all headed off to baggage claim, which would be followed by a pizza party at Ami's house. Sere was happy. Only three days, and she was surrounded by friends. Maybe life wasn't so bad after all.

WOW! A lot can happen in a chapter, can't it. As a note to all Japanese ignorant people, here's a list of words I've used or will use, and their meanings.

Ohaiyo - good morning  
Ja ne - See ya  
ne? - right?  
-san - miss (That's the only definition I know.  
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but basically,  
if someone says Aino-san, that means Miss Aino.)  
-chan - term of endearment (added onto name e.g. Ami-chan)  
hai - yes  
minna - everyone/everybody  
arigato - thanks  
gomen ne - sorry  
baka - idiot

Ok, that's all I can think of for that. for your  
info, Hikarino Seishi means "Tranquility of (the?) light". E-mail me! Please! Serenitys_! I REALLY like e-mails! (hint hint! ^-~)  
Ja ne, minna!  
~Jewel-hime

Sailor Moon was created by Takeuchi Naoko (Arigato, Queen Naoko!).


	5. Pain Once More

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tranquility: Chapter Four  
> By Jewel of Venus

(Here I should insert that thing that says 'I do not own Sailor Moon', but I don't feel like it so I won't. ;P)  
This story in full is dedicated to all dreamers, of which I am one.

Tranquility: Chapter Four  
By Jewel of Venus

"Who is it, Lita?" Lita blushed as Sere and Seishi tried to pry her new crush's name out of her. As unlikely as it seemed at first, Seishi's personality was remarkably close to Sere's. And their joint lunch-time hobby? Matchmaking. So far, they had failed, but they weren't giving up hope.

"Lita, we'll find out sooner or later! We just want it to be sooner! Tell us!" Seishi pleaded. Lita waved her napkin in the air like a white flag.

"Ok! I give! I like..." she leaned in close to the other two girls and paused.

"Who? Who?!" Sere demanded.

"Justin."

"Really?" Seishi gasped. Her ice blue eyes sparkled. Lita saw this and took great pains to stop what was undeniably running through both Sei-chan and Sere's minds.

"Oh, no! I've seen that look before. I don't want him knowing! He already has a girlfriend!" Lita pleaded with her eyes. "Please don't try to set us up."

"Ok, fine." Sere pouted.

"You could have made such a cute couple..." Seishi sighed. "But that's ok, I guess."

"Thanks guys." Lita smiled. "But while you're in the mood, guess who has a crush on Mina..."

"Seishi? Wow! You're on time!" Sere exclaimed as Seishi ran up to her.

"I woke up from a bad dream and I couldn't get back to sleep." she explained. Sere just sat and want back to her pouting, which she had been doing before Seishi had come. "Umm...what's up?"

"Darien doesn't have school today! It's not fair!" Seishi giggled and noticed Lita coming up.  
"Hey! How you...doing?" Seishi watched as Lita stormed past her, walked up to Sere, and slapped her in the face.

"You bitch!" Lita hissed. Sere stood there, her eyes widened in fright and a growing red mark on her cheek.

"Hey!" Seishi yelled. "What was that for? Stop it!" Lita ignored her and stood over Sere's quivering form.

"You told, bitch!" Lita cried.

"T-told what?" Sere managed.

"You know very well! You told Ashley that I liked Justin!"

"N-no! I didn't!" Lita slapped Sere again.

"You lying bitch! Ashley told me that you did!"

Seishi couldn't stand it any more. Yelling hadn't gotten Lita's attention, so...

SNIP!

Lita's ponytail fell to the ground. She turned around to see Seishi standing behind her with a pair of scissors.

"I said, STOP IT!" Seishi growled. As Lita stepped away from Sere and towards Seishi, Sere saw Seishi motioning for her to leave. Sere nodded, stood up, and ran towards home.

Sere fumbled with her key and unlocked the door. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Mina had told her that Lita had a temper, but she hadn't thought it was this bad. She opened the door and stepped inside. There was a note on the counter.

Bunny,  
I went out right after you left. Kam  
and I are going downtown. I'll be back  
by 8:00.  
~Darien

Setting the note down, Sere curled up on the couch and cried.

The sound of knocking brought Sere drowsily from a fitful sleep.

"Coming!" she called hoarsely. She made her way to the door and opened it.

"Hi." The black-haired girl said quietly.

"Seishi?"

"Yeah, can I come in?"

"Sure." Sere opened the door the rest of the way and let Seishi walk in. They sat down on the couch.

"Sei-chan...what happened?" Sere asked. The girl before her was not the same girl she'd seen at school. Her uniform was dirty and torn, and she'd lost some of the sparkle from her eyes. Seishi sighed.

"I guess it's a good thing I had that dream this morning, huh?" Sere didn't say anything, so she tried again. "I talked to Ashley. She said that she overheard Lita tell us that she liked Justin. And of course, Ashley is the source of ALL the gossip in school...She said you told her 'cause she's afraid of Lita. She didn't know Lita'd get that mad. She's really sorry, Sere." Seishi looked at Sere sideways. "Why did you get so scared?" Sere bit her lip.

"I'll tell you later."

"Well, I just thought I'd let you know..."

"Thanks...really." The door opened and Seishi looked up.

"Hi Darien."

"Umm...hi."

"I'd better go." Seishi stood up. "I'll see you later Sere. Bye Darien."

"Yeah, bye." Darien sat down on the couch next to Sere. "Are you ok, Bunny?"

"Oh, Darien..." Sere started crying on his shoulder. He held her, knowing she just needed to cry.

Woah...Lita really lost her temper. Don't worry, minna, it'll all be fine! E-mail me with anything that you want to say! I can take your flames. Serenitys_, K?  
~Jewel-hime

Sailor Moon was created by Takeuchi Naoko (Arigato, Queen Naoko!).


	6. Movies, Ice Cream, and Wounded Hearts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-----  
> Tranquility: Chapter Five  
> By Jewel of Venus

Standard disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, contrary to popular belief ;P  
Un-standard disclaimer: I do not own Ben and Jerry's. Or Titanic. Really.

\-----  
Tranquility: Chapter Five  
By Jewel of Venus

"Serenity-san? It's Fuu. May I come in?"

"Hold on, Fuu!" Sere ran to the door and opened it...only to find Lita there. Fuu smiled apologetically from behind her. "Hello, Lita." Sere said slowly.

"Hey, umm...I was worried about you...I mean, you haven't been at school..." Lita stood in the doorway nervously. Fuu slipped away and started down the stairs.

"Well, I think my not being at school is justified." Sere said coldly. Lita sighed.

"Look, Sere--"

"I don't think you have the right to call me that anymore." Lita bit her lip and started over.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry, Serenity-san. I talked to Darien, and he told me--Oh, Sere, you have every right to be mad at me forever but I'm so so sorry!" Lita exclaimed. Sere noticed, to her surprise, that two tears were slowly making their way down Lita's cheeks.

"I accept your apology. But," Sere added, "I don't know if we can be friends anymore." Lita nodded and turned to leave. "Someday, maybe..." Sere started.

"Yes." Lita said without looking back. "Someday." Then she was gone. Sere closed the door and went to the kitchen. She got a carton of Ben and Jerry's ice cream and a spoon, hesitated, and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" the voice at the other end answered.

"Hi, Sei-chan, it's me. Grab all the ice cream you've got and come over. It's time for a major pity party..."

*"Jack? Wake up, Jack! There's a boat! Wake up!"*

Sere and Seishi sat on the couch with their quarts of ice cream and watched as Rose tried to wake Jack up.

*"Jack? Jack!"*

Sniff. Sniff.

*"I'll never let go, Jack."*

The two girls both teared up, but kept watching silently.

*"May I have your name miss?"*

*"Dawson...Rose Dawson"*

Sere looked over at Seishi, and Seishi looked back at her. For a second, they just sat there, then they both burst into tears.

"It's so romantiiiiiic!" Seishi wailed.

"Uh-huh!" Sere nodded. They sat there crying for a while, then they quieted down to occasional sniffles. "I hope we didn't wake Darien up." Sere hiccuped.

"Too bad, cause you did!" The girls whipped around to face a very sleepy, very irritated Darien. "What could you two possibly be bawling about at 2:30 in the morning?"

"Oh, we're sorry, Dare!" Sere started. "But you see, Rose jumped out of the life boat to be with Jack, an all the life boats were gone and they went down with the ship and Rose was on a door and Jack was cold and he died and Rose told him she'd never let go and then on the other ship, she told them her name was Rose Dawson and it was so romantiiiiiiic..." The girls started crying again.

"Err...sorry I asked..."

"Oh, Darien, wouldn't it be great to fall in love?" Serena asked.

"..." Darien decided that the best idea was to leave, and fast. "You girls better go to sleep. That's what I'm doing. G'night, Seishi. 'Night, Bunny."

"Good-night, Darien."

"Night, Dare." Sere turned to Seishi. "Would you mind sleeping on the couch?"

"No prob. G'night, Sere."

"G'night, Sei-chan."

Well...umm...all I can think of is that Sere and Seishi were watching 'Titanic'. Like you all didn't already know that. Cool. E-mail = Serenitys_.  
~Jewel-hime

Sailor Moon was created by Takeuchi Naoko (Arigato, Queen Naoko!).


	7. Closer Than Ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-----  
> Tranquility: Chapter Six  
> By Jewel of Venus

Ok, first we focused on Sere and Darien, then on Sere and her friends. Now we're back to look at how Sere and Darien's relationship will develop. And I'm really wondering. Quick disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Sailor Moon, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream or any of the Ben and Jerry's flavors

\-----  
Tranquility: Chapter Six  
By Jewel of Venus

"School's out!" "Yes!!!" "Yee-ha!"

Seishi, Sere, and Mina ran out of the school building as fast as they could. They weren't about to miss ANY of summer vacation. And with Sere's birthday coming up, they had a slumber party to plan. They raced as fast as they could to Sere and Darien's apartment; Sere in the lead, with Seishi and Mina close behind. When they got there, they dropped their bags, kicked off their shoes, and headed to the kitchen to get some ice cream.

\-----

"Ok, should we ask Amy and Fuu to come or not?"

Sere frowned as she took a bite of her Cherry Garcia.

"I'm not sure." she said. "I mean, they're my friends and all, but they're both so..."

"Smart?" Seishi smiled.

"Or studious." Mina remarked. Sere sighed.

"I think we should, though."

"Well, let's see if they can come before we start complaining." Seishi declared as she picked up the phone and dialed Amy's number.

"Hello?" Amy answered the phone.

"Hi, Amy, it's Seishi!"

"Oh, hello Sei-chan."

"Look, we were wondering...Sere, Mina and I, that is..." Seishi unconsciously began twirling the phone cord around her finger.

"What would you like to know?" Amy asked.

"We wanted to know if you and Fuu would like to come to Sere's birthday party."

"What type of party is it?"

"A sleepover. It's on the night of the 29th."

"Oh..."

Seishi frowned at the obvious disappointment in Amy's voice.

"What's wrong, Amy?"

"Well, Fuu and I would love to come, but...we're going to be on a trip for summer school."

"Oh, well that's OK! Have fun!"

"Alright. Good-bye, Sei-chan."

"Bye, Amy."

Seishi hung up the phone, untangled her finger, and started eating her ice cream.

"Ahem!"

Seishi looked up to see Mina and Sere glaring at her.

"What?" she asked. Sere rolled her eyes.

"Are they coming or not?"

"Oh, that!" Seishi giggled. "They can't come."

"Why not?" Mina asked. Seishi motioned the girls to come closer.

"Summer school."

"No way!" Mina gasped.

"Only those two!" Sere laughed.

"Well, enough of that!" Mina said. "Let's finish planning."

Darien walked into his apartment and was greeted by the sounds of three girls chatting in the kitchen. He smiled. It sounded like Seishi and Mina were over.

"Okay. Bye, Sere."

"See ya tomorrow!"

"Bye guys!"

Mina and Seishi walked out of the kitchen. They said "hi" to Darien, then they left.

"Sounds like you were having fun." he commented as he walked in. Bunny smiled.

"We're planning my birthday party."

"Really?" Darien raised his eyebrows. "When's your birthday?"

"The 30th"

"Oh. Thanks for telling me in advance."

Bunny giggled.

"You're funny. Hey, if it's ok with you, Mina and Sei-chan are gonna be over a lot this summer. Do you mind?"

Darien shook his head.

"Nope, not at all. It's nice having people here. It was so quiet before you came, Bunny." Darien hugged her. "It got lonely sometimes."

Bunny looked up at him and smiled.

"I was lonely, too." she said and snuggled into his chest. "I owe you so much." she whispered.

Darien rested his chin on her head and closed his eyes.

"You don't owe me a thing." he whispered back. "Not a thing."

O.O It looks like Sere and Darien are getting a little more cozy, eh? Hee Hee. Seriously, I have little idea as to where this story is going. I think it has a mind and a life of its own. But don't leave me! Quick question: Is it too confusing when I switch between Sere and Bunny? It's just that I think it would be even MORE confusing if like I put 'Sere said' and then had Darien call her Bunny. Besides, he thinks of her as Bunny, not Sere. Anywho, e-mail me your thoughts on that and anything else you want to e-mail me about, k?  
E-mail = Serenitys_  
FYI, I've had people ask me why my e-mail is at DBZmail. Here's the answer: It loads quicker than Sailor Moon mail! That's all. I personally don't even really like DBZ. (No offense to those who do) Ya, so, whatever. I've rambled too long, now, so I'll go. Another chapter is on it's way! I already have ideas. Ja ne!

Sailor Moon was created by Takeuchi Naoko (Arigato, Queen Naoko!)


	8. Sailor Moon?  Why, Sure!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-----  
> Tranquility: Chapter Seven  
> By Jewel of Venus

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Sailor Moon. How many times do I have to say it?!

\-----  
Tranquility: Chapter Seven  
By Jewel of Venus

Darien walked into the apartment with a triumphant look in his eye. He had just taken his last final, and was officially out of high school.

"Bunny? Are you here?"

"Yeah!" her voice came drifting into the entryway. "I'm in the living room!" Darien walked in, stopped, and laughed. Bunny was leaning against the wall...upside-down! Her head was cushioned by a pillow from the couch.

"Bunny...why are you standing on your head?"

"I don't know." she giggled. "I was bored. Besides," she added as she flipped upright, "It increases circulation to your brain."

"Oh, like you need it? You've got a 4.0 GPA!"

"Well, I AM taking Physics next year, so it couldn't hurt." Bunny pouted.

"Ok, whatever floats your boat." Darien surveyed the room. "Hey, what's all that on the counter?" Bunny blushed.

"Um...nothing! Just some, uh, videos I rented..." she trailed off as Darien read the title of one of them.

"'Sailor Moon S: The Movie'. You actually LIKE this stuff?" Bunny rolled her eyes.

"Would I rent it if I didn't?"

"Hmm. Good point." Darien examined the cover of another tape. "Hey, is this Sailor Moon?" he asked, pointing to a picture. Bunny looked over.

"Yeah, her name's Usagi."

"Huh. You know, if you put your hair up like that, you'd look just like her." Darien grinned wickedly. "Why don't you try? Then you can get in the mood for all of these tapes!"

"I'll do it if you'll watch these with me without complaining." Bunny answered with an equally wicked grin. Darien gave a sigh of resignation.

"I'll pop the popcorn!" he said with completely fake enthusiasm.

"Alright." Bunny muttered to herself. "To the bathroom!"

"I'm not coming out!" Bunny shouted from the bedroom.

"Why not?" Darien shouted back as he popped one of the tapes into the VCR. "I'll bet you look cute. Get out here or I won't watch the videos!" Bunny took a deep breath and walked into the living room, the pigtails giving her a definite resemblance to Tsukino Usagi.

"Well?" she asked. "Aren't you going to tell me how silly I look?" Darien came up to her and spun her around slowly, surveying her work. Then he smiled.

"You look adorable."

"Really?" Bunny looked up at him, surprised by his reaction.

"Yep." he answered. "You should wear your hair like this more often." Darien pulled her into a hug, and noted that she was just the right height for him to nestle his chin right in between her "meatballs". After a second, he gave her a quick peck on the top of the head and pulled back. "Come on, let's go watch you save the world."

"So, which movie is this again?" Darien emptied the freshly popped popcorn into the bowl.

"It's Sailor Moon Super S." Bunny replied, twirling one of her pigtails around her finger.

"Ah-ha." All was silent for a while, until Chibimoon was kidnapped. "Umm, Bunny?"

"Yeah?"

"Did Supersailorchibimoon just call Supersailormoon 'Mama'?"

"Yeah..."

"Umm...Why?"

"Oh Kami-sama!" Bunny exclaimed in exasperation. "Didn't you pay attention when I told you? Chibi-Usa is Usagi's daughter in the future, when Usagi is Neo-Queen Serenity. Chibi-Usa was sent to the past to train to be Sailormoon. Get it?"

"Umm...yeah, I get it." Darien nodded enthusiastically. "At least I think I do." he muttered.

"Wow! Wasn't that fun, Darien?"

"Yeah, it was fun."

Bunny enthusiastically bounced off of the couch and promptly tripped over the coffee table. Darien sighed.

"I think that show affects your mentality."

"What?!" Bunny frowned.

"Oh, nothing, just the fact that you're acting like Usagi, and you don't usually. At least," Darien added, "Not around me, you don't."

"Ooo! You jerk!"

"Meatball head!"

"..." Bunny tried desperately to find a comeback.

"Aww...what's a matter, 'Usako'? No comeback?"  
"Hmph! Well I'm not the only one who's mentality was affected! You're being as bad as Mamoru!"

"Yeah, well maybe I was always like this. Besides, he's not that different from me, anyway."

"Well, Usagi gets lower grades than me! I am totally not like her!"

"Oh yeah?" Darien smirked. "Just watch, the next test you take, you'll get a 30! Don't worry, meatball head, I'm sure you'll be able to pull through." 'Usako' made to slug Darien in the arm, but he grabbed her wrist and twisted her around so she had her back to him.

"Let go!"

"Umm...no!" Bunny struggled, and Darien hugged her tightly, and snuggled his chin into her hair, a 'meatball' on either side of his face. "I'm sorry, meatball head. Forgive me?" Bunny stopped wiggling and settled into the hug.

"I guess so." she reluctantly agreed with a pout in her voice. But Darien could tell she wasn't angry. Suddenly, she giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, we were arguing about how we were nothing like Usagi and Mamoru, but we were acting just like them!"

Darien laughed quietly, and Bunny felt his chest shake.

"You're right, meatball head!"

"Hey! Are you going to stop calling me Bunny and start calling me Meatball Head?"

"Yep."

"Hmm. Well then we really ARE like Usagi and Mamoru. Hey, do you think..."

"Shhh...let's just be together, ok?"

"Ok."

Darien let Bunny go and they sat on the floor in front of the couch, just enjoying each other.

WOW! How fun was that? An entire chapter that includes Sailor Moon! ^-^ I had so much fun writing this chapter! One of my friends and I have an 'Usagi-Mamoru' relationship, but I don't dare tell him that our friendship reminds me of Sailor Moon! He'd flip! Anywho, I want to know what you think. If you're reading this story and you haven't e-mailed me by now, READ NO FUTHER! You have to e-mail me first! ^-^  
E-mail = serenitys_  
Oh, and there will be no more switching from Sere to Bunny and back, ok? Arigato! Ja ne!  
~Jewel-hime ^-^

P.S. Here's an odd fact about me: One of my nicknames is Firefly! Tootles!  
~J-chan

Sailor Moon was created by Takeuchi Naoko (Arigato, Queen Naoko!).


	9. Angel in the Garden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-----  
> Tranquility: Chapter 8  
> By Jewel of Venus

Disclaimer: Are you so thick that you don't know it already?!  
Yippee! I've actually planned out three chapters!!!! YES!!! Sorry, I just had to share my happiness. X-tra special thanks to all the funky people in the EC on the ASMR message board, 'cause I don't have writer's block anymore! And y'all know you like the bunny suit. ^-^ Oh, and at the end, there's a big long break before my ending remarks, with a note to remind you to go down. Let the last scene sink in before you go on, K? Thanks!

\-----  
Tranquility: Chapter 8  
By Jewel of Venus

"So, how come you've never had a girlfriend?" Sere and Darien were walking in the park, talking about their lives. They figured they could stand to know each other better, so here they were.

"I don't know. I guess I never really opened up enough for anyone to want to date me." Darien scratched his head. "So, in a way, I just kept them all away. How about you, meatball head? Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

"No. My friend Rita, however, has recently been engaged to the greatest guy." Sere sighed. "I haven't seen Rita in a while..."

"Hmm, that's strange." Darien frowned.

"What?"

"Well, my friend Andrew just got engaged to a girl named Rita..."

"Andrew? Does he work at an arcade?"

"Yeah! Come to mention it, he does!"

Sere laughed as they walked.

"How funny." she remarked. "My friend and your friend got engaged, then we meet each other and become friends!" she shook her head. "It's just kooky."

"Just like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all."

"Hmph." Sere pouted for a moment, then glanced around. "Hey, Dare, look at all this!"

"Huh?" Darien looked around to find that they had wandered into an amazing rose garden.

"Is this in the park?" Sere wondered.

"Umm...yeah! See that bench over there? It's a park bench." Darien answered, pointing to a bench almost completely hidden by pink and white rose bushes. Sere gasped at the beauty of the picture before her, then grabbed Darien's hand.

"Come on, let's go sit down!" She led him over to the bench, which had just enough room for the two of them to sit down. Darien snatched a rose from both bushes before Sere turned around, and he hid them behind his back.

"What do you have behind your back, Darien?" Sere asked as she sat down. Darien bowed and whipped the roses out from behind him.

"For you, madam." he said, handing the two roses to her.

"Oh, Darien, they're beautiful! But did you pick them off of these? You probably shouldn't."

"No one will ever know, trust me." He took the roses back, broke the stems short, and tucked them into Sere's odangos. They matched perfectly the light, pink and white outfit Sere was wearing that day. She giggled, and gave Darien's hand a small squeeze.

"Thanks, Dare." she said quietly. With a sudden inspiration, Darien stood up.

"I, um, have to get a drink! I'll be back in a flash!" And Darien ran off, leaving a very content blonde behind him.

Darien and the park photographer crouched, hidden behind a rose bush.

"Can you get the shot?" Darien asked quietly. The young man looked at him with a look that said *What, are you kidding me? Of course I can!* With that the man zoomed in on Sere, and snapped a picture.

"There, that's gonna be fantastic, man. Come back before six and pick it up. I'll even throw in a frame."

"Ok, thanks a lot." The photographer went pack to his cart, and Darien walked back into the garden.

"Oh, hey, Dare!" Sere stood up to meet him. He smiled gently at her. The white of her blouse set her crystalline blue eyes off perfectly. He looped his arm around her shoulders, and they decided silently to head back to the apartment. When they got there, Darien lifted his arm off Sere's shoulders, and hugged her from behind, nestling his chin in her hair and breathing in the fragrance of roses. "I had a great time, Darien. Thanks." Sere stood on her tiptoes and gave Darien a peck on the cheek. "Now go to your movie! I know how much you've been wanting to see it." Darien waved and set off.

"Hey, man! You're the rose garden guy, right?" the young photographer pulled out two packages. "Ok, this one's got a couple of wallet size, and this other one is full size in a silver frame." Darien smiled and took the packages.

"How much is it, Michael?" he asked, pulling out his wallet.

"Nothing."

"What?" Darien looked up.

"I kept a copy of the photo to enter into a nation-wide photo competition. If I win it, the picture will go on to a world-wide competition. You don't need to pay me. Taking that picture was payment enough." Michael pulled out a wallet size and slipped it into Darien's wallet. "Now get going!" he said. "I have to close up shop."

Some ways away from the photo booth, in the rose gardens, Darien finally opened the padded package and drew out a silver-framed picture.

The resolution was SLIGHTLY fuzzy, so it gave the picture a slightly magical look. In the midst of a sea of white and pink roses sat Serenity, the park bench hidden by the flowers. She had two roses in her odangos, and her clothes matched colors with the roses perfectly. Her eyes were closed, and she held a single pink rose to her face, obviously taking in the beautiful fragrance.

Darien sat, unmoving, until the sun went down, staring at the beautiful angel that he knew as Sere. When he couldn't see the photo anymore, due to the rapidly fading light, he slowly slipped the frame back into the package. He still had time to get to the movie, but somehow he doubted he would see any of it. He had once swore to himself that he would never fall in love, but he seemed to have fallen, and he had no intention of getting back up.

\-----Keep going...-----

*SIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHH* Wasn't that X-tremely sweet? I hope I described the picture so you could see it like I did...*Sigh* I am SUCH a die-hard romantic. What's going to happen? Darien's in love with Sere, but is Sere in love with Darien? Find out in the next chaotic chapter of...Tranquility!  
~Jewel-hime

P.S. Hey, did you notice how ironic and sarcastic the title is compared to the story? I mean, there are FEW parts of this when things are even PARTLY tranquil. Anywho, I'll be back soon! Ja ne!

I now belong to Lord Havoc of the EC! (It's true!)

Sailor Moon was created by Takeuchi Naoko (Arigato, Queen Naoko!).


	10. The Rose has Thorns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-----  
> Tranquility: Chapter 9  
> By Jewel of Venus

Disclaimer: I don't own it. If you can't understand what that means, you need help.  
Hey, all! To recap the last chapter in as few words as possible: Darien's in love with Sere. What about Sere, though? Is she in love with him? Well, you're about to find out. The special thanks for this chapter go to my new Mum on the ASMR message board, Princess_Serenity. Thanks for adopting me, Mum! I promise I'll update my signature to include my family tree! Ok, there are special instructions for reading this chapter. First, in between the ####'s, you have to play a song: You don't See Me, from the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack. I know, I know, it's silly sounding, but it makes the scene so much better. Also, There'll be a big blank space after the first scene. This is because you have to let the scene sink in, and the song finish, OK? Thanks!  
~Jewel-hime

\-----  
Tranquility: Chapter 9  
By Jewel of Venus

Sere walked aimlessly in the park a week after her walk in the park with Darien. They'd come back to the rose garden every day since then, and the bench had become 'their bench'. She always enjoyed their walks. They would talk, laugh, and sometimes share a companionable silence. Today, however, she was alone, because Darien had an appointment and Sei-chan and Mina were shopping for her birthday presents. Lost in thought, her feet led her to the rose gardens. Suddenly, she jerked out of her musings, certain she had just heard Darien's voice. She ran around a corner, heading towards the sound, only to stop suddenly when she saw the source. There, in their special spot, sat Darien...and another girl. The girl was his age, and he spoke earnestly to her, clasping her hand. Sere couldn't hear them, but she didn't want to. Why would Darien lie about going to an appointment when he was coming to see a girl? It wasn't like he was cheating on her, because they weren't a couple. She felt oddly betrayed, though, in spite of her logical thoughts. As she watched, Darien smiled at the girl and brushed a kiss over her fingertips. Suddenly, Sere felt that her heart had shattered into a thousand pieces that could never be put back together. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she ran back to the apartment. As she ran, a strangly calm part of her realized, with shock, that she loved Darien. She loved him more than she ever would have guessed. And he obviously didn't love her back...

####

\-----

\-----

Sere sat on her bed in mute disbelief, her eyes dull and unseeing, her ears deaf. She went over the image in her mind, trying to figure out what Darien and that girl could have been doing, other than whispering sweet nothings into each others ears. But she wasn't going to give him the third degree when he got home. She wouldn't even let him know she'd seen him. If he was in love, he'd tell her. They'd become best friends in the time they'd known each other, and he WOULD tell her, even if he took a while to get around to it. She suddenly noticed her surroundings again, and heard some noises coming from outside her bedroom. She walked into the living room to see what the sounds were. She had turned the TV on; or was it on already? Sailor Moon was on, and it was an episode she'd never seen. Usagi was walking in the park, and she saw Mamoru with another girl. Heartbroken, Usagi ran home crying.

*It's just like my life.* Sere thought. *Only I wasn't going out with the guy I love.* She settled onto the couch and wrapped up in a blanket to see how the story ended. Unfortunatly, the show ended up being a two parter, so she couldn't see the next episode until next Saturday...her birthday. With a sigh, she turned off the TV and hugged her knees to her chest. Would Darien bring the girl to her birthday party? Was she nice? Of course she was nice. Darien would never be with anyone who wasn't, even if he wasn't particularly nice himself.

"I wonder if he'll be home for dinner." Sere wondered out loud. She decided that if he wasn't he could always eat any leftovers. She went to the kitchen and got out some ingredients. "What should I make?" she asked her reflection in the kitchen mirror. "You're right, homemade mini-pizzas sound VERY good."

Ok, I know I could have done more, like have Darien come home to find dinner made, or her being nice all week, but I think it would just prolong the story. So, on to the next chapter. And I'll leave you some questions to ponder. We know that Darien loves Sere, so why is he kissing someone else's hand? How well will Sere cope? When will we find out who the mysterious girl is? Oh, and just FYI, the Sailor Moon episode is not a real episode. At least, I don't think it is. But then again, I haven't seen the first two seasons, so there might be one kind of like that. Anywho, I made it up (I think) to compliment the story, you know? And it will probably end however Sere and Darien's problem ends. Yeah, so ja ne!  
~Jewel-hime (Do you remember my nickname? Do ya? That's right! Firefly! ^-^)

Sailor Moon was created by Takeuchi Naoko (Arigato, Queen Naoko!).


	11. California Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tranquility: Chapter Ten  
> By Jewel of Venus

Disclaimer: Do you really need to hear it again?  
AN: Hey! I'm finally back! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter posted. Hopefully the next one will be out in a week or so. Much thanks from here to the end to Sacred Rose, for coming up with the idea. ASMR RULES SAILOR MOON FANDOM!

Tranquility: Chapter Ten  
By Jewel of Venus

By the time her birthday arrived, Sere had calmed down considerably. Her reasoning was this: Just because Darien had kissed the girl's hand didn't mean that they were dating. Darien did silly stuff like that to HER and SHE certainly wasn't dating him.

Even though it was summer vacation, Sere had an odd habit of waking up at 6:30 every morning and making breakfast for Darien. Today, however, she woke up to birds and sunlight...and no alarm clock. Thinking that it was just Darien's way of telling her to sleep in, Sere smilingly pulled on a robe and slippers and went out to make breakfast.

"SUPRISE!!!" Sere stared at the five familiar faces that filled the kitchen. Mina and Seishi had gigantic smiles of their faces. Darien stood off to one side, laughing quietly, as if he thought everything a good joke. And lastly, looking very happy, were Fuu and Ami.

"Happy Birthday, meatball head." Darien walked over and hugged the shocked girl.

"We made you breakfast." Ami stated, her eyes glowing with pride.

"Oh, guys..." Sere's eyes filled with happy tears. The girls all hugged her and told her happy birthday, then hurridly set the table.

Breakfast was wonderful. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and orange juice were set on the table, and the happy group talked and laughed for an hour before they were done.

"Alright, Sere," Seishi said as she pushed her empty plate back, "It's time to open your presents."

"But shouldn't I do that tonight?"

"Nope." Mina pulled out a pink package and handed it to Sere. "Here, mine first."

\-----

"Thank you all SO much!" Sere smiled at the people she loved the most. "The presents were great!"

"Alright, now!" Mina jumped up. "You need to go get dressed! We'll do the dishes." Sere gathered up her presents and went to her room.

She had no trouble choosing what to wear. The white shorts and pink shirt that Mina gave her, the silver crescent moon earrings and necklace from Seishi, and the tan backpack purse from Fuu (which would contain the Sailor Moon hairbrush and mirror from Ami.). She'd put her hair up in 'odangos' with the midnight-blue hair ties (with crescent moon charms) that she got from Darien. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, Sere went back out to the living room.

\-----

Darien was the first to see Sere come out of her room; the girls were all busy washing dishes. The moment he saw her, he was lost to everything around him. He drank in the sight of her as if he had been wandering in the desert and she was a fresh stream. He was unable to move; unable to breathe. He fingered a small black box in his pocket. It held a small silver ring set with a moonstone, the profession of his love for this glorious angel. She looked at him curiously.

"Hey, Dare, you alright?"

"Huh...what?"

"You bozo!" Sere giggled. "You are such a dreamer! No WONDER you've been working on that book for so long!"

"A book? I didn't know you write." Ami walked up to them, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Are you getting it published?"

"If he ever finishes it!" Sere snorted. Darien raised his eyebrow.

"If?" He turned and went into his room quickly, ignoring Sere's curious stare and the sounds of the girls asking her about his book. He grabbed something off of his dresser and went back out, his hands behind his back.

"Darien?" Sere got a devilish look in her eye. "What have you got there?" Darien smiled.

"Absolutely nothing, dear."

"Yes you do!" Sere tried to get around behind him. "Let me see! Let me see!"

"As you wish." Darien handed her a book.

"'The Rose's Thorns: A Mystery. By Darien T. Sheilds'" She read. "Is this your book?"

"Just read the inside cover."

"Ok..." Sere opened the book and read the hand-written inscription. "'To Serenity, for her 17th birthday. You are always in my heart. Much love, Darien.'" The girls all started to tear up at the sweet note. "Oh, wait! 'P.S. You are a meatball head.'" Sere blinked and tried to decide whether to be touched or insulted. Darien smiled as the girls held their breath.

"DARIEN!!!!"

\-----

As night fell over Tokyo, six teenagers laughingly collapsed on the sofa in Darien's apartment, just home from a trip downtown. They had spent the day in parks and shops, with a stop at the Crown Arcade after lunch. About half an hour before, they had called for pizza from a pay phone, then proceeded to race to the apartment as fast as they could so that the pizza guy wouldn't get there before them.

"That was SO fun!" Sere gasped. "Thanks, guys!"

"You're welcome!" The girls chorused as the doorbell rang.

"And there's the pizza!" Darien stood up and took some money out of his pocket. A few minutes later, the girls were sitting all over the living room, eating pizza and watching a Sailor Moon marathon on TV. Quietly, Darien slipped out of the apartment and down two flights of stairs, stopping at one of the apartments. Looking around to make sure Sere hadn't followed him, he rang the doorbell. The door opened to reveal a pretty girl, about his age.

"Hi, Reika."

"Darien! Hi!" Reika smiled at him. "I was wondering when you'd get around to coming over!"

\-----

Sere had seen Darien slip out after the pizza came, and being the curious female she was, Sere followed him. Down two flights of stairs, and to an apartment. Sere didn't want him to see her, so she stayed in the stairwell, where she could JUST see him. After looking around, Darien rang the doorbell, and the door was answered by...the girl from the park. He said hi to her - Sere could just make out the name 'Reika' - and she smiled and said something back.

Unfortunately, she was too far away to hear them, but Sere watched the pair carefully. As she watched, Darien took a box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal a ring. Reika's eyes went wide and she put the ring on her finger before pulling Darien quickly into her apartment.

\-----

Reika closed the door quickly and looked again at the ring Darien had bought.

"Darien, it's beautiful." she said, handing it back to him. "Sere will love it."

"I hope so." Darien put the ring and box back into his pocket as he nervously licked his lips. "You don't think it's...well...too forward?"

"Absolutely not!" Reika exclaimed indignently. "Why, if my boyfriend did something like this for me, I'd be the happiest girl alive!" Darien sighed deeply.

"But that's just it!" he said, sitting on the couch. "I'm NOT her boyfriend. If I tell her that I love her, and that this ring is a promise of my eternal love and maybe even a promise to get married in the future, won't I scare her away?"

"No. Not if she loves you. And," Reika silenced Darien's slight protest, "She may love you and not even realize it yet."

"Well, thanks, Reika. You're a life saver. A cherry one." Reika laughed.

"Anytime, my friend."

\-----

Sere was quiet when she walked back into the apartment. Her thoughts were no longer on her wonderful birthday, but on her lost love.

"Hey, Sere, what's wrong?" Seishi looked up from the TV.

"Oh, um, nothing." Sere faked a yawn. "I'm just tired, that's all." Suddenly, all the girls had reasons why they needed to be home. With a few rushed 'happy birthdays' and 'goodbyes', the girls were suddenly gone. Sere sat for a moment, then decided what she had to do. Quickly, she stuffed all her clothes and possesions in a suitcase and put her money in her purse. She took all the money from the savings jar that Darien put under the sink and slipped an IOU in, to let him know who had taken it all. As she was about to leave, her eyes rested upon a picture of the two of them in the park, and the book Darien had given her that morning. Hesitantly, she stuck both in her suitcase, then ran out the door and down five flights of stairs.

When she got outside the building, she turned and headed to the airport.

\-----

Darien was smiling as he headed back up to his apartment. That is, he was smiling until he saw the door hanging open. With worry in his eyes, he rushed into the apartment, looking for his roommate, his angel, his love.

"Sere? Sere, are you here? Ser-" he stopped short when he entered Sere's room. Her drawers were all pulled out, there were hangers on the floor, and there was no sign of any of Sere's things. The suitcase was gone from the closet as well. Eyes wide with fright, Darien raced to the kitchen, where his savings jar laid on the floor, a single scrap of paper inside. He picked up the paper, took a deep breath, and read it.

IOU your money.  
Sere.

Realization of what had happened hit Darien all at once. Sere was gone. She had left. Slowly, Darien sank to the floor and wrapped his arms around his knees as tears flowed down his cheeks.

"Sere..."

\-----

"Final boarding call for flight 4826 to Los Angeles International Airport."

Sere barely registered the announcement made over the airport's PA system as she looked at the discount ticket she held in her hand. She had bought a ticket for the farthest destination she could afford: a red-eye flight to Los Angeles/LAX.

"Miss, are you on this flight?" Sere looked up at the gate attendant.

"Oh, yes..." Sere handed the girl her ticket and slowly walked down the passageway that led to the airplane...and her new life."

O.o She's GONE! And right when Darien was going to profess his love! Well, now we know who's hand Darien was kissing in the park! And if it wasn't clear, Darien was talking to Reika in the park to ask her advise on what to do about loving Sere. I know it's all illogical (especially that Sere would have enough cash to buy a ticket to LA) but it's ONLY a story, after all. ^-^  
THUS ENDS TRANQUILITY!  
O.O  
No, the story's not over, just this part! The rest will be in "Eternity Song Part Two: Serenity". Well, I hope you're liking it! Once again, much thanks to Sacred Heart for helping me!

Ja ne!

~J-chan


End file.
